1991-1994

Lost opportunities

Having fulfilled the minimum task of establishing an institutional foundation, which included etting up institutions and laying the foundation of the legislative basis for Ukraine as a state with a democratic political regime and a market economy, the then political establishment

failed to determine a direction and come up with an efficient development programme, while the opposition failed to present society with a reasonable alternative The constitutional model did not contribute to the formation of a responsible government. Independence was not immediately followed by elections thus the structure of political forces in government authorities that was typical of the last years of the USSR remained in place Managers of industrial enterprises – the so-called “red directors” and kolkhoz managers, who controlled economic resources affected strategic and tactical decision-making, unrestrained by any public or civil control Looking for quick enrichment, this so-called establishment siphoned off the country’s resources while placing the burden of the resolution of social issues on the state budget, often demanding that “the printing presses are put into operation”, thus saturating the economy with a money supply

that had no guarantees behind it At the same time, the political forces that declared Ukraine’s independence as their goal and appealed to patriotism, failed to shape any appropriate alternative regarding either economic reforms or the state governance system. Moreover, their inertness disenchanted their potential supporters. Therefore, the opposition ended up with a limited electorate.

The country never got its own “face” comprised of clearly defined goals, interests and concept

about mechanisms for their implementation, either in domestic or foreign policy A combination of these factors resulted in hyperinflation, impoverishment, the takeover of the economy by oligarchs and a political crisis.

On May 16, Ukrainian filmmaker currently jailed in Russia as a political prisoner went on a hunger strike. In a public letter he wrote that he would only stop the strike if all 64 Ukrainian prisoners jailed in Russia for politically-motivated grounds are released

The opposition in Ukraine is mostly reactive and it chooses actions that will be most useful for criticizing the current Administration or gaining the attention of a specific part of the electorate. What Ukraine needs most right now is a consolidating program and a party that could present its own alternative for the country